Hey start-ups, it’s not the marketing, it’s the branding

So you’ve a great idea and got the funding you need and you’re off to spend it on marketing your idea. But wait, did you spend enough time in branding that awesome idea, product or service? Research shows that many start ups and even established ones spend too little time and resources in building a brand identity, and rush to launch.

Entrepreneur and advertising & branding icon, Sa’ad Hussein will share why it is critical to build your brand from the start. In his relaxed lecture-cum-workshop session, Sa’ad will draw from his 30 years of experience and recommend steps and offer tricks and tips on how to create a brand from ground zero; especially for the digital generation.

About Sa’ad Hussein

Sa’ad Hussein is a maverick. He started his career in Singapore as a hybrid creative when everyone wanted to be a art director or a copywriter. He left Singapore to explore Jakarta before settling in Malaysia to be partner of a boutique start-up. 10 years later, TBWA, a global agency network acquired the company and made him Managing Director. Soon after, he was promoted to Chief Creative Officer and Group Chairman.

One of the major highlight of his career in TBWA was when the office was awarded AGENCY OF THE YEAR Awards in 2014 in 3 separate shows namely Advertising & Marketing Award Show, Malaysian Kancils and Campaign Asia. A year later, the office picked up the AGENCY OF THE YEAR award for Effies.

With over 25 years of experience, Sa’ad has worked on major brands like Sony, PlayStation, Nissan, Infiniti, McDonald’s, Nando’s and Pizza Hut. But he is most passionate when it comes to building local, challenger and start-up brands. These include P1 (Packet One), RHB, Nippon Paint, DiGi, UMobile and most recently Tealive.

Currently, Sa’ad is focusing his time and energy on mentoring start-ups especially in the area of branding. At the same time, he is also managing 2 start-ups of his own specifically in the area of photography and kid’s fashion.